Chip grew up in Roanoke, VA, where he spent lots of time following the weather, poring over maps, collecting rocks, and hiking the mountains. He earned a B.S. in Geophysics from Virginia Tech, an M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Georgia. Chip became a professor at the University of North Carolina in 1993. His research focuses on the synoptic climatological characteristics of extreme weather and their impacts across the southeastern United States. He has much expertise across a wide range of areas in climatology and meteorology, including heavy precipitation, tornadoes, hurricanes, cold air outbreaks, heat waves, and winter weather. He has published numerous research articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Monthly Weather Review, Weather and Forecasting, the International Journal of Climatology, Climate Research, and Applied Geography. And he was a co-author on the Southeast Technical Report for the National Climate Assessment. Chip has served as the Director of the Southeast Regional Climate Center since 2010.

William spent most of his youth in California near San Francisco. He moved to Vermont in the early 1990's so that he could experience some real weather. In March Super Storm 1993 came plowing up the East Coast and planted the passion and ambition for Weather/Climate that would drive him along his career path. In 1998 he obtained his Associates Degree in Physics and transferred to Plymouth, NH where in 2001 he graduated with a Bachelors in Meteorology. His first Job was with Aquila Inc. a Kansas City, MO based energy company that was just spinning up a Weather Derivative Desk. While in Kansas City William was a Climate Data Analyst and managed a global database of weather data. He then went on to Work with a small group called GuaranteedWeather and finally with the Southeast Regional Climate Center in 2005. Within the SERCC William is the Service Climatologist and is responsible for climate research associated with the Southeastern U.S. and educating current and new users on how the SERCC can be of assistance to them.

Jordan McLeod is originally from Warner Robins, Georgia. In 2011, he received a B.A. degree in Geography with a concentration in Earth Environmental Systems from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also minored in History with a focus on the American Civil War. Most recently, he earned an M.S. degree in Geography with a concentration in Atmospheric Science from the University of Georgia. Jordan’s primary interests include weather/climate extremes across the United States, tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin, and atmospheric circulation variability over the Arctic region. Learning about the Earth’s weather and climate system has been a passion since childhood, and Jordan hopes to maximize his potential as a “weather weenie”.

Dr. Ashley Ward is a native North Carolinian, born in Durham but spent much of her youth in the rural northern piedmont. Ashley earned her BA, Masters, and PhD in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Throughout her career, she has focused on community-level issues particularly relating to the American South and centered on the areas of community development, poverty, and health. Ashley’s passion is engaging communities to identify and address issues, and helping communities develop long-term, sustainable strategies relevant to their particular community. She is excited to join the Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA “See-Sah”) as part of their collaboration with SERCC. (Carolinas Integrated Sciences & Assessments). Summer 2017 Research Assistant

Haley a rising senior at UNC majoring in Environmental Science on the Quantitative Energy Systems track (B.S.) with a Geography minor. Upon graduating, she plans to pursue another degree or two in environmental science/geography/something similar. She has assisted in research regarding how water quality of the Lumber River was affected by Hurricane Matthew (Endeavors: A RAPID Response to Hurricane Matthew). and hopes to continue to study the effects of natural disasters as the climate warms in the future. This summer she will be working under Ashley Ward to study how increased heat index values will affect preterm labor, asthma, and the contraction of C. Diff.

John was born outside of Chicago and grew up outside of Raleigh. He graduated from NC State with a B.S. in Meteorology, and a minor in mathematics in May 2008. In January 2009, he was hired at the North Carolina State Climate Office for development of meteorological web products for both the State Climate Office and the Southeast Regional Climate Center. John's main project with the SERCC is the Climate Perspectives tool. John is also a part-time graduate student at NC State, pursuing his masters in Atmospheric Science. His graduate research focuses on the feasibility and construction of a high-resolution mesoscale reanalysis of North Carolina using the WRFDA model system.

Peter Robinson has been involved in Applied Climatology since arriving in North Carolina in 1971. He was the State Climatologist from 1976 until 1980, at which time he left the state on assignment as Assistant Director of the National Climate Program in Washington DC. There he was responsible for Federal-State Climate relationships and was in charge of the climate data and information services. During this time he laid the administrative foundations for the program which evolved into the Regional Climate Centers. At the end of the assignment he returned to Geography Department at the University of North Carolina, teaching courses in atmospheric science and being involved in applied climatic research. He served for a period as the Chair of the Regional Climate Centers National Oversight Committee. He is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist, slated to serve in 2008 as the Chair of the Administrative Board for the program. He is also the US Representative to the International Geographical Union Commission for Water Sustainability.

He became Director of the Southeast Regional Climate Center when it was relocated to the University of North Carolina in April 2007 and in the Spring of 2010 he retired to the UK.